The City of Windsor's vacant home tax program has received over 150 complaints since being launched this past spring.
The program, officially launched on March 27, 2024, is designed to boost the housing supply in the city by encouraging property owners to rent or sell properties that are sitting vacant.
Under the program, homes unoccupied for more than 183 days in any given taxation year would be issued a three-percent levy on top of their regular property taxes if the owner could not provide documentation disputing the classification.
Windsor's Commissioner of Finance and Treasurer, Janice Guthrie, says they're taking a look at each and every complaint that's coming in to see if it fits the program's criteria.
"If we determine in fact that there is merit to the complaint, we will send out a declaration to the property owner, and they need to return that to us. Failure to return a declaration could result in the property being deemed vacant and the tax imposed," she says.
Due to the program being launched in March, after a home is vacant for 140 days in 2024, a tax could be levied.
Gutherie says that would place the deadline in mid-August.
"Once we've passed our August timeframe, mid-August, we will then start issuing bills to property owners that have vacant homes, and we will start actively pursuing that revenue and collection efforts, she says.
Any property owner who deliberately falsifies information on the declaration will also be issued a $3,500 fine.
There are some exemptions to the program, like if a property is up for sale, if the owners are making renovations, or if the homeowner has died and the family is trying to settle the future of the property.
Guthrie says things are moving quickly with this new program.
"We do want to address this issue; we do want to make sure homes are not sitting vacant, that they're being taken care of, and, most importantly, that they're being used for purposes of housing, which is so desperately needed in our community right now," she says.
The program is complaint-driven, and residents who suspect a property is vacant can report it by calling 311.
The city estimates there are between 250 and 500 homes sitting empty.
The net revenue generated from the program will be reinvested into the city's housing solutions.
Click here to find more information about the program.